No woodworm treatment... new house ... should I be worried?

[jdillon]

Hi all,
buying a house built in the 1930s. Just got the survey back.

Surveyor said there doesnt appear to be any woodworm treatment. There was no sign of infestation in the house, but common furniture beetle in the garage (near hte house, but not attached).

Since we are getting the flooring changed, should we go ahead and get as much of it treated as we can even though there is no sign of infestation?


Thanks for any advice,

JD

 

[TheVictorian]

Should be no risk of woodworm these days, they like the cold and died out in old properties once central heating came in.

 

[kbdiy]

Usual a**e covering exercise by surveyor. Talk about stating the bleeding obvious. If no sign of infestation so why would there be any treatment?

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

No point in getting involved in chemical's if you doh't have to, just treat the garage and call it a day.

 

[OwainDIYer]

most new wood will be treated anyway.

 

[AronSearle]

Surveyors just cut n paste standard paragraphs into their reports, he won't have the slightest clue if it has been treated, not that it matters, unless you are in the Surrey area you don't need to treat the timbers.

 

[jdillon]

Oh dear... we are in the Surrey area!

 

[OwainDIYer]

It's not the furniture beetle you have to worry about then.

http://www.cuprinol.co.uk/treatment/house_longhorn_beetle.jsp

 

[AronSearle]

If you are in the Surrey area, and the roof is from 1930s, it's very likely treated (you can't tell by looking at it).

If you are unsure, or want piece of mind, it's a DIY job, just brush or spray on treatment.

The only point in getting a "professional" in is because you don't want to do it (fair enough), or you want a treatment guarantee, but those are typically worth less than toilet paper.

Follow the advice in OwainDIYer's link, stab the timber with a sharp object to check for attack (or tap the timbers with a hammer, *tap* not whack), the surveyor would very unlikely have done this.

Whilst you should keep an eye on this, don't be to worried about it, the timbers lasted shy of 100 years, and will likely last 100s of years more.

 

[anobium]

Highly unlikely you have longhorn beetle as you would hear it chewing the wood.
Honest no kidding.

 

[gregers]

in times of old they reckoned you could here death watch beetle aswell.

 

[anobium]

in times of old they reckoned you could here death watch beetle aswell.

The noise you could hear was a tapping noise with their heads which was a mating call.
They were the first "head bangers"

 

[gregers]

also linked to the plague,iirc if it could be heard a death was due in the house hold.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

When a house is wick with beasties you hear them munching at night, they all get into the same rhythm.

 

[anobium]

also linked to the plague,iirc if it could be heard a death was due in the house hold.

Not strictly true, the beetles were there all the time, it's just that nobody heard them in a noisy house, in those days when somebody was very ill, the house was very quiet, and that is when people heard the tapping noise.
This is how it came to be known as the death watch beetle.